Tuesday, March 31, 2015

Nina Hardwick has had a rough life since
leaving high school, but inside she is still the girl looking for a silver
lining. The past several years have left their toll on her psyche, and just as
she feels like she’s climbing out of a deep abyss, her life and the lives of
millions of others fall into shambles as a virus overtakes the country and
leaves a plague of undead armies scouring the land.

In a desperate attempt to get away from
the infected, Nina and some neighbors speed out of town, nearly killing a man
on a motorcycle. When they stop to rescue him, Nina realizes that he is the one
man from her past she never got over, the guy who should have been her high school
sweetheart until she messed it up. But this unrequited love, Kevin Savage, says
he doesn’t even remember her. Or does he?

Nina, Kevin, and her neighbors head to
the wilderness and fight to survive not only the plague but also hunger, cold,
their inner demons…and even each other. Will they survive and, more
importantly, will her heart?

**Please
choose ONLY one excerpt**

Excerpt
#1

I lay in Kevin’s arms for longer than I could calculate,
staring out the window and watching as the sky grew darker. Part of me wished we could stay like this
forever, in this place the world seemed to have forgotten about, away from
everything bad and horrible and dark.

That might have been nice, but there was still the
question of my kids…and the rest of my family.
I needed to know they were all right, had to find out where they
were. I didn’t know how the hell I was
going to do that or when, but I needed to.

Up against my body, he felt strong where I felt weak, warm
where I could only sense cold. He had
become to me everything I always knew he was, and the realization that I had
fallen in love with him again struck me hard.
It had been an easy slide, one I hadn’t even known I was on until my
feet were back on the ground.

I decided there, in his arms, that I wasn’t going to fight
it.

But I also wasn’t going to acknowledge it. After our weird past as teens, I didn’t know
what to expect from him in the aftermath.
I only knew this moment, and I was going to cherish it, hold it tightly
in my heart like I might clench a locket in my fist, and then I was going to
let tomorrow bring what it would. I would
leave this room with no expectations, no hope.

It was something I’d grown pretty good at over the years.

As if he could read my mind, he said, “We should probably
head back.”

“Yeah, I was thinking that. I think a storm’s moving in, don’t you?” I turned around in his arms. Part of me didn’t want to. I was sad—profoundly—but felt like I
shouldn’t be drowning in that emotion. I
didn’t want to give away anything in my head.

His voice was soft when he said, “Yeah, I think so, so we
shouldn’t screw around.”

I smiled in spite of myself. “A little late.”

He grinned too, and I imagined that he was feeling inside
the same way I was but also wanted to try to put on a happy face. But he pulled me close and kissed me
tenderly. He didn’t say anything,
though, even after his lips left mine.

I wanted to acknowledge the significance of his earlier
revelation, even though part of me was afraid to go there, so afraid of what
the truth was. But I had to know. “Do you really remember me…or were you just
saying that?”

Excerpt
#2

I froze. My heart
was thumping in my chest and time seemed to have slowed to a crawl, so I
watched as they got closer and my friends steeled themselves for
engagement. As though I was removed from
the action, I saw chopping, swinging, lunging…as if I weren’t there on the
battlefield. Then I saw the violent gray
body lunge at me, teeth gnashing and fingers clawing, but I couldn’t make
myself move. All around me, I saw my
companions felling these creatures but I couldn’t seem to bring myself to do
it.

It would be my demise.

I could hear Kevin beside me, yelling at me while fending
off his own attacker, but then he lunged in front of me, shoving the tire iron
in the neck of the creature that was ready to eat me alive, making it drop to
the ground.

And then, suddenly, it was over.

They were all dead.
My friends’ weapons—and their response—had saved us.

Everything became more vivid then. The blood seemed even redder on the pristine
snow; the skies were a brilliant blue, the evergreens, the richest shade of
olive I’d ever seen.

And then time sped up again, and Kevin gripped my
shoulders, forcing me to look at him. I
could sense Larry beside me ready to say something too, but he was leaving it
up to the man who had my attention. “You
can’t just stand there and do nothing.
They’ll kill you, Nina. It’s you
or them. Kill or die, Nina Davis.” His jaw rippled before he repeated each word
with force. “Kill or die.”

In spite of the fear that had drained my body and despite
the new appreciation I suddenly had for living, it didn’t escape my attention
that he’d called me by my maiden name.

His face was so close to mine, his expression intense, his
eyes like cold steel. He was a thing to
be feared, and yet…I expected him to kiss me…

Jade C. Jamison was born and raised in Colorado and has
decided she likes it enough to stay forever. Jade's day job is teaching
Creative Writing, but teaching doesn't stop her from doing a little writing
herself.

Unfortunately, there's no one genre that quite fits her
writing. Her work has been labeled romance, erotica, suspense, and women's
fiction, and the latter is probably the safest and closest description. But
you'll see that her writing doesn't quite fit any of those genres.

You'll have to discover Jade's writing for yourself to
decide if you like it.

Thursday, March 26, 2015

For Victoria, it started with the perfect dress and the
perfect man...well, she thought he was perfect.

For Cameron, it started with a devoted wife and a bright
future...until he discovered devotion was never high on his wife's list of
marital duties.

When trust is tested and faith in the power of true love is
lost, there is only way one to restore it:

Give that person everything you’ve got, nurture it, love it…

And watch her bloom.

Excerpt #1

As soon
as she granted me access, I took her mouth hard and deep. When I pulled back,
she was limp in my arms. “Victoria?” I chuckled and gave her a small shake
while she smiled, still with her eyes closed.

“I’m
swooning. And, not sure, but be careful you don’t slip in the puddle under my
feet that kiss just created.”

Excerpt #2

After we
listened to his one sided argument, my girlfriends and I sat there stunned.

“Remind
me to change my panties,” Dee stage whispered to Kath. When he was off the
phone, the petite Dee with her dark brown hair and big blue eyes looked at Cam
and said, “I will pay you every dollar in my bank account to talk that way to
me.”

He jerked
his head toward her. “Excuse me?”

“Your
voice is like hot fudge dripping off the end of a spoon.” He did have a
terrific voice.

“It’s the
beard,” I said to my friends. “It makes me want to just climb up onto his face
and take a ride on the man-mane. Did I just say that out loud?”

Excerpt #3

“I hope
to God you can look in the mirror and see what me and twenty other guys see:
you’re the girl that men wish they had, even when they have a good one, they
still fantasize about what it’d be like to have you. And not because they wanna
fuck you, it’s because you’re you, Victoria. So when shit goes down, you let me
know if you need someone to remind you.”

Teaser Quotes

Teaser One:

“I think we both know that with us,
there’s a beginning and a middle, but there will never be an end.”

Teaser Two:

After we listened to his one sided
argument, my girlfriends and I sat there stunned.

“Remind me to change my panties,” Dee
stage whispered to Kath. When he was off the phone, the petite Dee with her
dark brown hair and big blue eyes looked at Cam and said, “I will pay you every
dollar in my bank account to talk that way to me.”

He jerked his head toward her. “Excuse
me?”

“Your voice is like hot fudge dripping
off the end of a spoon.” He did have a terrific voice.

“It’s the beard,” I said to my friends.
"It makes me want to just climb up onto his face, grab onto his man-mane
and take a ride. Did I just say that out loud?”

Teaser Three:

“As soon as
she granted me access, I took her mouth hard and deep. When I pulled back, she
was limp in my arms. “Victoria?” I chuckled and gave her a small shake while
she smiled, still with her eyes closed.

“I’m
swooning. And, not sure, but be careful you don’t slip in the puddle under my
feet that kiss just created.”

Julie is a
Southern California native, a fan of a really good story (preferably romance
with a happily ever after), really good pie (preferably pumpkin) and copious
amounts of coffee (preferably Folgers).

She has always enjoyed writing and
at one time thought she could be a singer songwriter...the 'writer' part is the
one that stuck.

Julie is obsessed with pi...the
equation(and the food). She's allergic to cats and cantaloupe and hates
mushrooms...so if you ever want to give her a gift, those are out for sure.She
currently lives with her own romance hero husband and two boys in Melbourne,
Australia.

This story is amazing but you need to have read Affection & Incandescent first, if you don't this story will be jumping ahead and not make sense. This story takes place after Kadence has had the baby, Nix is frustrated because he still can't get his wife back and feels her pulling away not just from him but from their kids as well. Nix is willing to do anything to help get back the woman that he loves but isn't sure he can if she won't even admit there is a problem.

Kadence knows she is having problems since having the baby but doesn't know how to tell anyone how bad it really is for her. Her depression and negative thoughts rule her so much of the time she isn't sure how to get back to the person she once was. She doesn't want to hurt her family and really wants to find herself again if she could just figure out how to do that.

This story shows and amazing depiction of postpartum depression and how many people think that it is something that will go away if just left to run its course. This is not true for all woman. I like how this also shows how it affects a man when their woman is going through this. I thought seeing how frustrated and confused Nix was on what is the right thing to do and how far do you push the woman you love. this is an amazing book and I would recommend it to anyone and everyone.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be
reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means including
electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior
written consent of the author.

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places
and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used
fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or
dead, is entirely coincidental and beyond the intent of the author or
publisher.

Prologue

Natalie

“Oh, Chloe, if you’d like to come
out, please wait until your Daddy gets back,” I insist, holding my belly as
another Braxton Hicks contraction hits. I grip the dresser and try to breathe
through it. It seems like they’re coming more frequently.

Once it passes, I try to finish what
I came in here for. Aaron is away, but I want the nursery done so we can enjoy
the next few weeks once he returns. I walk around what will be her room,
putting a few more of the pretty pink dresses in the drawers. Aaron and I have
fought about the vast array of pink things that are now strewn around the
house—he hates it, I love it.

He insisted we paint her room in
camouflage. Brown, green, and black camouflage for a girl? No. I almost sent
myself into labor with that argument. I got home and he and Mark were drawing
it out on the walls. I launched various household items at Mark while throwing
him out of the house. My husband found out shortly after how much he could
suffer by my hands. I may not be a SEAL, but you don’t mess with me either. In
the end, I won with purple walls and the sheer netting around her white crib.

“Daddy’s going to love this room,
Chloe. I can’t wait to see his face when he sees the pretty butterflies.”
Needing to take another break, I sit in the rocking chair and rub my stomach.
It soothes me knowing she’s in there. I can protect her—it’s my job. I love
being pregnant and it’s a miracle we were able to conceive her. I’ve already
told Aaron I want to try for another one as soon as she’s born. I close my eyes
and sink, allowing the world to fade away.

I imagine holding her in my arms,
sitting here in this chair, soothing and kissing her. I picture Aaron with her
asleep on his chest as she gets to hear his heartbeat. She’ll own his world and
have him wrapped around her finger.

Knock, knock, knock.

I hear the door, but it takes me a
few seconds to get out of the chair.

KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK.

They bang louder this time.

“Coming!” I yell at the door. Jeez,
give me a second.

Waddling to the door takes me a minute
since I’m the size of a whale.

I open the door and see Mark Dixon,
Aaron’s boss and close friend. He works at Cole Security Forces with Aaron and
served with him for years. His head is hanging low and when he looks up, his
eyes are full of sorrow.

“What’s wrong?”

“Lee,” he chokes on the one syllable
of my name. The one Aaron uses. Something is definitely not right.

“What happened?” I ask again as I
begin to shake.

Tears fill his eyes and I know. I
know my life is never going to be the same. I know everything I’ve ever feared
is about to come true because Mark doesn’t cry. Mark wouldn’t be at my door if
something weren’t really, really wrong. “It’s Aaron.”

My heart stops beating and the world
I live in ceases to exist. “Don’t,” I beg with tears blurring my vision and my
breath accelerating.

This can’t be happening.

“Please, don’t, Mark. Please,” I beg
him again, because once he says it…but I know it’s futile. It doesn’t matter
because he can’t stop it. It’s already happened.

“Natalie, I’m so sorry.”

The dreaded words that every
military wife fears. Only I wasn’t supposed to have to worry about this
anymore. We were done. We got out. I wasn’t supposed to ever fear this again.

Please,
God, don’t take him from me. Please!

“But, I’m p-pregnant. I’m having a
baby,” I stammer as if that will somehow make none of this real. “He said he’d
be back. He said he…” I trail off as it becomes difficult to breathe. My hand
flies to my mouth to stifle the scream about to escape. Everything goes
colorless.

“It was an IED. I’m sorry,” Mark
says as his eyes glimmer with unshed tears.

“It was a mistake. He’s having a
baby. He said it was a simple in and out!” I scream and throw my hands against
his chest. “You’re lying!” I scream, even knowing it’s not a lie.

“I’m sorry.”

“Stop saying you’re sorry!” My
sorrow turns to hatred. I hate him. I hate everyone in this moment. I hate
Aaron and everyone who was there. I hate this house and everything in it. I
hate the air that he no longer breathes. Hate consumes me. Hate smothers me. “Get
out!” I yell and push against his chest. “Get the fuck out of my house! Aaron
will be back in a few days and then we’re going to get ready for our daughter
to be born.”

“Please,” Mark beseeches and I
refuse to look at him.

This isn’t happening because Aaron’s
alive.

He’s not dead. How dare Mark lie to
me.

“He’ll be back. He wouldn’t leave
me. He promised.” Aaron wouldn’t lie to me. He never does. When he left for
missions, he would always say goodbye like it could be our last. But this time
he kissed the tip of my nose and said, “Now don’t have that baby until I get
back.”

“Can I call someone? Your mom?”

“No, you can’t call anyone because
he’s not dead! Go get him, Mark! Go get my husband and bring him home.” I step
back pointing my finger at him. “You all promised. He promised.” I clutch my
stomach as a sharp pain radiates, but it’s nothing compared to the agony
sitting on my chest. Tears flow relentlessly as I struggle against his hold.
“He promised.”

“I know he did,” Mark says as he
holds my head against his chest.

“He lied.”

My life is gone.

My heart is dead.

I’m a widow at twenty-seven.

Excerpt
#1

Aarabelle sits in her highchair as I feed her dinner. She’s
growing so fast. Already she’s eating cereal and a little baby food. Soon
she’ll be crawling and I have no one to celebrate with. Her father will never
see these milestones and it breaks me apart.

“You should really lock the door,” Liam huffs as he throws
his coat over the chair.

“But then I’d have to get up to let you in,” I state
matter-of-factly and go back to feeding the baby, trying to put aside my
worries. The fact is…this is reality. I have to deal with it.

“Uh huh. Hey, Pumpkin,” his eyes alight as he crouches down
by Aara. It’s adorable hearing grown men use a baby voice. It gets a little
softer and higher pitched.

The corners of her mouth lift and she throws her arms in the
air when he gets close. My heart sputters seeing how happy she gets seeing him.
Liam kisses her head and she giggles.

“At least someone is happy to see me,” he says playfully.

“I’d be happy if you brought me a present,” I joke.

He laughs and goes into the pocket of his coat. “Just so
happens I did, but since that’s the only way you’ll be nice, I’ll hold on to
this until you’ve earned it.”

Practically leaping out of my chair, I rush over. “What is
it?” I try to peer around his back as he holds the mystery item.

Liam’s lips curl as he sees how much I want this. I don’t
even know what it is. Jeez, I’m an idiot. “Nope. We eat first, then maybe
you’ll get it.”

“Watch, it’s a freaking Pez dispenser or something stupid.”

“Guess you’ll have to be nice to find out.” He shoves the
item into his back pocket and I fight the urge to reach and get it. “How was
work?”

We spend the next thirty minutes going over my day and
Jackson’s return. Liam never mentioned that they spoke, but he’s surprised to
hear he’s in Virginia. After we finish the pizza, Liam somehow convinces me we
should watch a movie. I get Aarabelle to bed and come down to find him sprawled
out on the couch.

“By all means, make yourself comfortable.”

Liam pulls his beanie higher on his forehead and his eyes
glimmer with amusement. He sits up and puts the TV on. “I picked the movie.”

“What?” I ask with mock incredulity. “It’s my house. Why do
you get to pick the movie?”

“Ummm, I’m the guest.” He shrugs as if this should be an
obvious answer.

I groan and lean back. “What crappy, shoot-‘em-up movie do I
have to endure?”

“You’ll see. It’s a classic.”

Excerpt
#2

I lift my head and press my lips against his. His hand
cradles my cheek and he holds me as we kiss. I grab his neck and feel the
weightlessness from letting a little part of myself go. He kisses me adoringly
and cautiously, allowing me to lead but still commanding me. I lose myself a
little more as I moan when his hand presses against the small of my back.

“Let go,” he says against my mouth. “Let me take it for
you.”

Before I can say anything, his mouth is on mine again. Our
tongues thrash against each other as the kiss becomes hungry. He pulls me close
so there’s no space between us. The low sound resonates through his chest,
sending shivers down my spine. It’s sexy, and before I know it, my hands are
traveling to his chest. I pull his shirt out and my fingers trail up his chest.
I want to feel his skin.

Liam breaks the kiss. “Natalie,” my name is both a plea and
a request.

“Shhh,” I instruct him as I unbutton his shirt. “I want to
feel your heart.”

My hands glide up and he trembles beneath my touch. We stand
here with my fingers resting on his chest, feeling his heart beat beneath me.
He’s alive and here with me. His hands stay at his sides as he once again lets
me decide where I’m going with this.

“I want to touch you so bad,” he admits and his hand lifts
then drops. “I’m fighting every muscle in my body right now.”

About the Author

Corinne Michaels is an emotional, witty, sarcastic, and fun
loving mom of two beautiful children. She’s happily married to the man of her
dreams and is a former Navy wife. After spending months away from her husband
while he was deployed, reading and writing was her escape from the loneliness.

Both her maternal and paternal grandmothers were librarians,
which only intensified her love of reading. After years of writing short
stories, she couldn’t ignore the call to finish her debut novel, Beloved. Her
alpha Navy SEALs are broken, beautiful, and will steal your heart.